Bulls 93, Bucks 86

November 24, 2012|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

Bulls 93, Bucks 86

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Carlos Boozer had a big night for Chicago, scoring 22 points with 19 rebounds, his fourth double-double in the last five games, as the Bulls pulled away late for a 93-86 victory Saturday at Milwaukee.

Along with Boozer, Rip Hamilton scored 22 points and Luol Deng added 14 as the Bulls got back to the .500 mark and beat the Bucks for the fifth straight time in Milwaukee and the eighth consecutive game overall.

Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings started strong, connecting on six of his first eight field goals and scoring 13 of his team-leading 23 in the first quarter but was helped off the court after suffering an injury to his left ankle with 23 seconds to play.

Monta Ellis shot 7 for 17 from field to finish with 17 points. Beno Udrih and Tobias Harris also finished in double-digit scoring, adding 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Free throws went a long way in helping Chicago get back to .500. The Bulls (6-6) went to the line 26 times -- converting 25 -- while the Bucks were just 7-of-10 from the stripe. Rebounding, too, gave Chicago a boost as the Bulls held a 54-40 advantage on the boards and had 25 second-chance points to just five for the Bucks (6-5).

Jennings hit six of his first eight shots, scoring 13 points as Milwaukee built a 30-28 lead after the first quarter. With the reserves in, the Bucks extended the lead to six points, going up 41-35 after Epke Udoh's 16-foot jumper with 6:24 left in the half.

Chicago chipped away, and finally tied the game when Taj Gibson hit a pair of free throws with 33 seconds left. Ersan Ilyasova's three-point attempt missed the rim and the teams went into halftime tied at 52-52.

NOTES: Seldom-used center Joel Przybilla started for Milwaukee in place of Samuel Dalembert, who had been averaging 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 10 games (all starts). ... The Bulls have won eight in a row against the Bucks and four straight in Milwaukee. ... Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, a former Marquette University standout, played his college ball in the Bradley Center. ... Once again, Bucks forward Drew Gooden was inactive, though healthy. He has yet to dress for a game this season. ... Milwaukee head coach Scott Skiles went 165-172 as head coach of the Bulls from 2003-2007.